Vedanta Beginners Course

Vedanta is a means of self-knowledge based on scripture, namely the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras. Because these primary texts can be difficult for beginners to understand, later teachers of Vedanta began writing introductory works in order to familiarize students with the basics of the teaching and prepare them for more advanced study. However, because these introductory texts were written in Sanskrit for those highly familiar with Vedic culture, it is helpful to the modern student to have the content of these texts presented to them in a language and context they can more easily understand. And that is what the materials included in the Vedanta Beginners Course do. They will give you—in plain and modern English—everything you need to become familiar with Vedanta, and prepare you to study the scriptures in depth, if necessary. Because make no mistake, this course does not leave out any part of the teaching. Properly understood, the materials in the Beginners Course alone are enough to give you moksha, freedom or enlightenment.

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Instructions

The Beginners Course is a self-guided course that consists of three steps. The steps can be done in any order that you choose.

Step 1

Select one print book from the Books list and one video series from the Video list. You need not worry too much about which one to choose. They all cover the same material, but in slightly different ways. Once you have chosen, read the book and watch the videos slowly, contemplating what they say. Only after you have fully understood each chapter or video should you move on to the next because Vedanta is designed to be a step-by-step teaching. So when you don’t understand a chapter or video, you are unlikely to be able to understand the next one that follows

Step 2

Read the “Experience and Knowledge” e-book.

Step 3

Read as many satsangs as you can in our satsang database. They are a veritable gold mine of information that contains answers to nearly any question about Vedanta you can imagine.

SATSANGS – Read as many as possile

E-BOOK

Additional Resources

Advanced Course

After you have completed the Beginners Course, you can continue on to the Advanced Course where you will study the scriptures of Vedanta in depth.

Contacting Shining World

For years I have happily and diligently responded to communications on the topic of Self realization. Since the publication of my book, “How to Attain Enlightenment”— currently in its third printing —and the success of this website, the volume of emails has increased considerably. Unfortunately, owing to a busy schedule of teaching and writing, I am no longer able to answer all the emails I receive in a timely fashion. However, my wife, who is also a teacher, and several well-qualified teachers we have endorsed are available to answer emails on my behalf. I encourage you to send them your questions. — James SwartzContact Us